Design for Ceiling Ornament
Medium
Bound print
Classification
Bound print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-282-82
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
François de Cuvilli the Elder (1695–1768), a Belgian-born architect and designer who thrived in the Bavarian court, created this *Design for Ceiling Ornament sometime between 1731 and1768. As a master of Rococo style, Cuvilliés was renowned for his intricate, playful decorations that graced palaces like Munich's Amalienburg Pavilion. This bound print captures the era's love for lavish interiors, where ceilings became canvases for scrolling motifs, shells, and floral arabesques—hallmarks of Rococo's elegant exuberance. Produced as a print bound into a volume, the work reflects 18th-century pra...